DROITWICH honoured its iconic New World pioneer Edward Winslow with a special weekend of entertainment and thanksgiving.
The Edward Winslow Day celebrations took place last Thursday to Saturday across the town.
The fun kicked off with an American flag-raising ceremony at St Richard’s House at followed by a thanksgiving service at St Peter’s Church.
There was also music and entertainment at St Andrews Shopping Centre, including line dancers and performances from the Salties Folk Trio, Voices Unlimited, and the Worcestershire Folk Players.
Guests could also enjoy a themed market in Victoria Square.
The inaugural ‘Winslow Awards’ saw local community champions honoured at a service in St Peter’s Church.
Shelley Dixon, who has been volunteering with the Moving Forward project for the past few years, was named the Winslow Community Champion, while the Droitwich Lions won the group edition of the award.
Foodbank volunteer Anne Roberts won the Winslow Endeavour award, while Suzi Wood, who devoted many hours of her time helping to revive, and later support, the Lido, won the ‘Salt of the Earth’ Award.
Held on Thanksgiving Day, the festivities give a nod to Winslow’s involvement in the first-ever Thanksgiving dinner in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Winslow was a separatist and New England political leader who became a key figure among the Mayflower Pilgrims, becoming one of the first English natives to travel to what would become the United States.
Born in Droitwich in 1595 and baptised in St Peter’s church in the town, Winslow grew up in a family who were deeply involved in the salt production trade, owning their own salt pit.
His education saw him attend King’s School in Worcester, and he later became a printer in London.
In 1617, he travelled to Leiden, Holland, becoming a prominent member of the local English Puritan Church.
Three years later, he boarded the Mayflower, a ship that carried 102 passengers from England to the New World.
He was a founder of the colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and served as governor three times there.
In October 1646, he left the New World and spent nine years in England, where he held minor offices under Oliver Cromwell.
In 1654, Winslow was chief of the three commissioners that Cromwell sent on his expedition against the West Indies.
However, in May 1655, he died of Yellow fever on board his ship between Hispaniola and Jamaica and was buried at sea.
